Improvement



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

S. F. VAN CHOATE. lmprovement in Breech-Loading Fire-Arms. No. 132,505.Patented Oct. 22,1372.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

S. F. VAN CHOATE Improvement in Breech-Loading Fire-Arms. N0.132,505.

Patented Oct. 22,1872.

PATEN' FFCE NI'IED STA'ISI SILVANUS F. VAN CHOATE, OF B()STON,MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 132,505, dated October22, 18 72.

T0 all whom z't may concern:

Be it known that I, SILVANUS F. VANOHOATE,ofBoston,inthecountyofSuffolkand State of Massachusetts, havemade an inven tion of eertain new and useful Improvements inBreech-Loading Fre-Arms; and do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description thereof, due reference being had tothe acoompanying drawing making part of this specification, and in whichFignre 1 is a plan Fig. 2, a vertical and longitudinal section; Fig. 3,a horizontal section; and Figs. 4, 5, and 6 vertical and transversesections of a fire-arm embodying my improvements, or such portions of afire-arm as are immediately related to such improvements; Fig. 7 is ahorizontal seotion of the rear end of the barrel; Fig. 8, a sideelevatiori of the rear end of the breech-bolt; and Figs. 9 and 10, sideviews of the tring-pin and its carrier or rod.

The drawing accompan yin g and making part of this specificationrepresents at A the barrel, whereof a is the bore, and 12 thecartridge-receiving chamber; at B the frame of the arm which receivesthe rear end of the barrel and the general working parts of the breechmechanism, and usually termed the receiver at 0 the at E the shank ortang, which extends rearward from the lower part of the receiver B,andis either integral therewith or screwed to it in a proper manner; thecock of the arm being shown at F, and formed and dsposed as hereinafterstated; while the channel of the receiver which contains and constitutes the roadway of the breech-bolt is shown at G a-nd thebreech-bolt which traverses it at H. 'lhe upper part of the receiver isformed With a channel,a, extending its entire length, and of a vvidthequal to the thickness of the base of the handle or knob 1), by whichthe breechbolt is operated, this base extending into a notch, 0, made inone side of the receiver, which serves to look the breeeh in firingposition. The side of the breech-bolt opposite the handleb and extractor6 is scored with a longitudinal channel or groove, 0, which ter minatesat rear in a short right-angular bend, p, as shown in Figs. 5 and 8 ofthe draWing, and into this channel the point q of a screw or stop pin,1, extends, such pin serving to very perfect finish is stock; at D thetrigger p1a-te or strap,

estop the rearward motion or retraction of the breech-bolt, as well asthe lateral or rocking motion of such bolt. The rear end of the barrelis, reduced to a taperng sharp annular edge, c, which projects into theroadway of the receiver a distance equal to the length of the hoek d ofthe spring-extractor e of the breech-bolt. lhe extractor is flash withthe exterior of the breech-bolt, theforward. end of which is recessed atf to recei"e both the cartridge-flange and the annular lip 0 of thebarrel, and, when pushed fully forward, abuts against the shoulder h onthe barrel. Under this arrangement a tight joint is made, and a given tothe arm. The extractor moves with the breech-bolt, and when the lattenis turned so as to be 1ocked in position the extractor Will be carriedout of sight below the top of the receiver.

The arrangement just described, of the barrel and the recprocating androtary breechbolt, is necessary in order to provide for the rotation ofthe retractor, and to obtain a tight joint and aproper support for theannlar lip of the barrel. Some recess in or around the barrel is neededto allow the proper hold oi-' the extractor on the cartridge-flange; andby making the lip continuous around the b-ore of the barrel, andarranging t to be received within the end of the bolt, as shown, allthese objects are attain'ed.

The firing-position of the arm is that sh0vn in Figs. 4 and 6 of thedrawing-that is, with the handle b horizontal or turned down, and itsbase inserted With the recoil seat or notch 0. I make in one side of therear part of the breech-bolt H a rectangular channel or slot,

i, whioh extends from its periphery inward, and intersects the axialbore or passage 7c, which receives the firing-pin 1 and its rod m, therear portion of such rod terminating in an oblong rectangular head orcarrier, n, which plays within the chaunel v5, the greatest 'width ofthe said head n and of the channel i being at right angles to the axisof the handle (2 and the plane of the extract-or 6. The forward end ofthe needle-rod carrier extends slightly into the bend 19 of the channel0, and so that the stoppin r shail abut against it at certain times, andthe inner corner of the carrierthus protruding is reduced to a shortsloping i'ace or inclined plane, s, while the remainder is out away uponan angle oi about i'ortyive degrees, in order to produee a second andlonger inclined plane, t. (See Figs. 8, 9, and 10.) The c0ck F resemblesin general form many now in nse, and is pivoted Within a slot, v, cutcentrally in the shank or tang E, and in axial alignrnent with the boreof the barrel and of the breech oolt, the front 'ace w of this hammerbeing cut away at such an angle that when 'ull cocked it shall beparallel to the plane of the hreech bolt and its roadway, and aloutflash with the bottom of the latter, and when driven forward by itsspring 00 in the act of exploding a cartridge, or when at half. 0rsat'ety cock it shall enter the slot of the breechbolt, and preventrot-ation and unlocking of the latter until the c0ck is again bronght toits 'ull-cock position.

Ehe action of the above-described mechanism is as follows: Snpposing thecock te be thrown forward by its spring and resting in the slot of thebreech-bolt, such bolt in turn being locked in iring-position, in whichcase the point 11 of the stop-pin rests in the bend 19 of the channel 0,and in front of the inclined 'ace t of the carrier n. As thebreech-bolt, after full cocking the hammer, in the act of nnlockingpreparatory t0 loading the arm, is rotated through ninety degrees of acircle by means of its handle 12, the inclined face t impinges apainstthe stop-pin r, and the firingpin is retracted te such an extent thatits forward end retreats within the breech-bolt and out of reach of thecartridge-case The inclined plane t compels the firingpin with everyunlocking of the breechto retreat within the latter, should it inclinete stick within its inclosing-passage t'roxn becoming rusted or 'onl orrom anyother cause, thus re1nov*ing it from contact With the cartridgeas the latter is driven into the barrel by the advance of the loreech.As the handle I) is brought to an upright position the stop-pin 4 leavesthe bend and stands in alignment with the main channel 0, thus enablingthe breech-bolt to be drawn back to its 'ullest extent, the entire bodyof the cock F being situated below the breech-bolt. The cartridge is nowinserted within the roadway Gin advance of the oreechbolt, and thelatter driven forward and seizing the flange of the cartridge-case, ashereinbefore explained, the handle b loeing last of all lowered into therecoil-seat notch 0. This lowering of the handle again introduces thepoint of the stop-pin into the bend 19 of the hannel 0, and in so doingit abuts against the inelined face s of the carrier u, and retracts thefiring-pin should this pin fron1 any eause ha"e been pnshed forwardwhile the breechbolt was unlocked; if not the stop-pin has no effectupon such carrier until the breech is a second time unlocked, and thesfaid stop-pin abuts against the long face t of the carrier, which hadbeen driven forward by the harnmer in the act of exploding the contentsof the cartridge. As the hamxner is released by a pull upon the triggery it enters the slot or recessi of the breech-bolt, and prevents r0-tation and nnlocking of the latter until again brought to ull-c0ck, andat the same time by means of a second face or abntnnent, k, forn1ed nponit, strikes and drives forward the firingpin and explodes the cartridge.The trigger is pivoted within the trigger-strap D and centrally thereof,and impinges the cock without intermediate devices, the rear end of theroadway of the receiver B being slotted to receive in connection withthe slot of the breeoh-bolt, the front portion W of the hammer, Theiiring-pin is retained in place within the breech-bolt by a screw orpin, g, which passes through sueh bolt and enters a short notch 0rrecess, h, created in the side of the carrier n, as shown in Fig. 3 ofthe drawing.

Having thns explained what I believe to be the novel 'eatures in mypresent improven1ents, I claim as such, and desire to have secured tomyself, the following:

1. The comhination of the receiver B, the sliding and rotatingbreech-loolt H provided with recess f, tne spring-extractor e slidingand rotating with said breech-block, and the barrel provided withannnlar lip 0, all con strncted and arranged as herein sho wn and. setforth.

2.- The combination of the receiver, the breechholt, slotted as hereindescribed, and the hammer F with its two faces W and 70, said partsbeing constructed and arranged for joint operation, as herein shown andset forth.

3. I claim, in combination with the breechbolt H, the iiring-pin IJn n,With its inclines s t,-

or their equivalents, and stop-pin r, substantially under thearrangement, and operating as stated.

S. F. VAN CHOATE. Witnesses:

FRED. CUR'1IS, W. E. BOARDM'AN.

directly againstwhich enters them conjointly.

